Sanctuary Island
=The secret history of Sanctuary Island= Founding Sanctuary Island was created by a number of small Cubi clans seeking to save their clan lines some 7000 years or so ago, when the Cubi Wars were at their height. This was also the period during which Fa'Lina founded SAIA for a similar purpose, but since the Academy was only in the planning stage at the time, they decided to take matters into their own hands. After the island was created, a barrier was put in place to stop anyone from coming in... or going out. Because of the limited resources available upon the island, special measures were put in place to regulate the clans and their population level. One of the more controversial plans was a specialised breeding program created by the Elders. However, unknown to most of the island's inhabitants, they had an ulterior motive - to create a new race of immensely powerful and destructive warrior 'cubi to act as their defence if the war outside should encroach upon the island. Joybringer Clan The clan chosen to be the centre of this breeding program was the Joybringer Clan whose leader, Exuro, had been on the initial council until being killed in the war. The Joybringer clan was notable for its strength in element magic - particularly water and fire. Secrecy was maintained about the true intent of the program though, and subsequent generations born after the initial founding were never told. As such, the program continued and eventually evolved into an arranged marriage tradition. However, there was always some controversy from a number of clans trying to keep their bloodline pure, and others who didn't like the idea of accidentally being married to their cousin or some other relative. Some of those who advocated against the 'tradition' disappeared, and rumours were that they had either found a way off the island or had their souls eaten. Raine and Blaze Raine and Blaze were born to Olivia and Flame Joybringer in the year 438 BC - the result of nearly 7000 years of selective breeding. From a very young age, before they even gained their headwings, they were given extensive lessons in using element spells. These exercises were not exactly lessons however, as the pair would in time discover, but purely ways of increasing their raw strength and magic in the elements rather than learning spells to control them usefully. Essentially, the Elders intended them to become unstoppable weapons. The two were not the only results of the breeding program either. Four others from similar clans were also born around the same time and taught in other elements. Blaze and Raine however were the most adept and quick to learn due to their heritage, becoming the most powerful of the group and stronger than all other generations before them, proving that the program was a success. At times, there were some small disasters on the island when one of them accidentally caused a catastrophe, creating dissent among the Elders as whether it was safe to continue the breeding program or not. In the year 338 BC (on RJ’s 100th birthday), it was decided that she would be the first of the group to be arranged into marriage to see if RJ would give birth to an even more powerful (and hopefully more controllable) 'cubi. The Escape Unfortunately for the Elders, Raine had a yearning to visit the outside world and this combined with a dawning suspicion of the Elders intent and a disdain for the politics of the island in general, led her to escape from the island through a means that remains unknown. After escaping to the mainland and washing up on the mainland, she was taken in by a kind innkeeper. RJ worked for around a year there whilst gathering information about SAIA, after having learned of its existence from the island's restricted section of the library. Eventually she was able to find her way there and was accepted by Fa'Lina, although she was quite behind in normal development compared to other cubi her age, and this did pose a number of problems. It was on her first day she also met Paladin Sheppard, whom she would develop a close relationship with. The 'Rescue' Meanwhile, back on the island, Blaze asked the Elders if he would be able to go out and find his sister. The Elders refused, partly out of fear that Raine (and most likely Blaze as well) would eventually figure out the truth about their heritage. However, the Elders' thirst for power forced them to reconsider it and they set to developing a strategy that would bring Raine back and keep her tied to the island, as well as eventually draining her powers and thus rendering her safe. In 167 BC, RJ failed the majority of her classes (as well as having been the blame for many notable and unexplained explosions... and not all attributed from her cooking). However, she had developed a great ability for healing magic, likely because of her natural affinity for the water element. Fa'Lina, feeling pity for her situation, gave her the position of school nurse and assistant to the infamous Doctor Ink. Years later, Blaze was finally called before the council and tasked with retrieving his sister to attend a 'festival', the nature of which they refused to divulge. In the year 83 BC, Blaze finally succeeded. After much pleading, Blaze convinced his sister return with him to the island for the 'festival', although she was by now more suspicious of the Elders, having learnt from her teachers that she had no real knowledge of magic, only raw strength in it. Nonetheless, she attempted to leave, only for the pair of them to be confronted by Fa'Lina, who cheerfully requested that if things didn't work out, Blaze should consider joining the SAIA staff and help teach fire magic. The Last Festival Upon their return to the island, the council took Raine captive and began to put their plan into action, whether she be willing or no. A wedding was arranged and a husband chosen for her... one of the other four from the breeding program. On the day of the wedding, Raine was taken before the altar so that spells could be put in place that would permanently bind her and the other five upon the island for good. At this point Blaze was able to help her get loose. The six then confronted the council and proceeded to bring ruin and vengeance down upon the island. Finally Raine, unhinged after learning the truth about the breeding program from the last surviving Elder, created a tsunami to drown the entire island, erasing it from the face of the world. Aftermath Raine and the others were able to escape to the mainland afterwards, having made sure that there were at least some survivors of the disaster (creating a worry amongst them that they would seek revenge). However, things seemed quiet and they all took their separate ways. Raine and Blaze returned to SAIA, where Blaze accepted Fa'Lina's offer, as well as moving into a nearby village to become a baker. Raine resumed her duties as nurse at the Academy. The two of them have never spoken of what happened. Category:Fan Locations